A Change Of Worlds
by Goddess Of Idiots
Summary: Annabeth has dreamed of moving to England since she was young. But when she is stuck in a school where no one understands her she dreams of moving back to Greece, in a place where she could understand the language and the people. She soon meets bad boy Percy, someone who finally understands her. But how come people say Percy is bad news when being with him is like heaven? AU
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**All rights and characters go to Rick Riordan. I also don't own 'Angel Cake' by Cathy Cassidy.**

**Annabeth's POV**

Saying goodbye was the hardest. I hugged my grandparents and friends one last time before we picked up our bags and suitcases and walked out to the curb where a taxi was waiting. The driver loaded up our cases and bags in the trunk while my brothers and I got in. My mum got in the front, her face showing no emotion, but I knew better. I knew she was keeping her emotions inside, she would always stay strong for the sake of others. Bobby and Matthew, my younger twin brothers waved at all our friends from the window. I just sat there with tears in my eyes as I stared out of the window, longing to be back in my bedroom reading and writing, lost in a world where I wasn't being made to move countries. We all waved one last time before the taxi drove off down the familiar roads and past beautiful buildings that I'd grown up being around. We drove past my primary school and then past my current school, Athens Academy. My heart ached knowing that I wouldn't be going there next term, or ever again.

We were sitting on the cold chairs in the airport waiting area. My eyes took in the surroundings. Busy people walked and ran past clutching children's hands or bags. Loud announcements went out in Greek, echoing around the airport. It was sad to think that this would be one of the last things I'd see and remember of Greece. But to be honest, I was excited to move to England. I'd been waiting for time to come but now it's here I don't really want to leave.

When I was 8 years old, my dad left to work in England because he could get better pay there. Mum told us that one day we would all join him in England, we could have a better life there. Greece was being pushed into a recession and soon people would start to get poorer and there wouldn't be any more money left for the people of Greece. Every time I would ask about England, mum would just tell me that we would have a better life over there. Personally I didn't think we needed a better life. But when dad left for England I knew we _did_ need a better life. Every night I would sit on my bed and look up at the sky. The moonlight lighting up the city of Athens, I could see the Parthenon in the distance on top of Acropolis. It was one of my favourite temples in Greece, I wonder if they had any temples in England. The stars would line the night sky like a blanket and it was so peaceful. I wondered if you could see the stars in England, if dad could look up and see the same beautiful constellations as I could. Sometimes I wish I could be a star, a constellation up in the sky looking down on earth. A reminder of someone passed on, to be remembered forever, frozen in time in the sky.

The summers in Greece are hot and sticky. The days would be long and scorching and the nights would be short and cool. When my dad first came back for Christmas, I had asked if it was hot in England.

"Sometimes the sun just about warms you up from behind the clouds, but it's not as sunny as Greece." He had replied.

Did that mean it wasn't sunny? When Bobby and Matthew had asked when we could go back to England with him he had told us that we could soon. He told us how England was a place of opportunity, how you could easily get jobs. How people were never poor.

"The pavements are paved with gold." He had told us.

I knew he didn't mean literally but I did imagine a clean fresh city. Huge, expensive buildings lined the street. Rich people in fashionable clothes would walk by. Houses would be huge and pretty. It wouldn't be like Greece. It wouldn't have old temples on hills, it wouldn't have rundown houses. It wouldn't be dirty and dusty. But most of all, it wouldn't be home.

"Can you see the stars in England?" I had asked him.

"Not much, there are too many tights but on some clear nights they are just above you, out of reach, just like in Athens. England isn't that different." He had replied.

But inside I knew England wasn't the same as Greece. London wasn't the same as Athens. And I knew that where I was going, I didn't belong.

Suddenly I heard our plane being announced over the speakers. We all got up and walked out to the runway. We boarded the plane and buckled our seatbelts. I had never been on a plane before, I'd never been out of Greece either. It was scary leaving everything and everyone behind.

The plane took off into the clouds. I looked out of the window, my last view of Greece passed below me. You couldn't see much, but I could see The Parthenon and Mt. Olympus, two of the highest points in Greece. I took a book from my bag. It was one of the books that dad had sent me to help with my English. It had helped me picture what England would be like. Dad had told us he had a house ready, so I pictured it like the one in my book. A beautiful white washed house, flowers climbing up the walls, a lovely cottage door and a lush green garden. It looked cosy and inviting. Just like I hoped England would be like.

After hours of flying over dark seas and piercing through white clouds, our plane touched down to Earth. I was scared as we got off, I don't know why. I had worked so hard for this moment. I had practiced my English for hours on end. I had researched about England until I knew nearly every fact off by heart. I had memorized famous people and buildings, places to go and what it was like. We walked down the walkway onto the ground, English territory. Bobby and Matthew slipped their hands through mine.

"I'm scared Annie." Whispered Bobby.

"I've forgotten all my English words." Whispered Matthew.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." I told them but I felt like I was convincing myself more than them.

"It's alright for you, you're good at English!" They both complained.

"So are you two." I reminded them.

"It won't be so easy outside the classroom. There are accents to work out and your father tells me Leeds has a very strong one." Our mother told us.

That didn't exactly help my confidence but I stayed strong and we carried on walking. The airport is busy and crowded and I didn't know how we were supposed to find dad. The heavy rain lashes against the windows of the airport and the miserable cold people move slowly. I can't help but notice how out of place we look. I have tanned skin, blonde hair and startling grey eyes whereas they have pale skin, light coloured hair and dull eyes. Suddenly my dad comes into view. His face broke out in a huge grin and he is waving wildly at us. We all grin back and rush into his arms. Perhaps I can survive England if we are all together.

**Hey guys, that was the first chapter of A change of Worlds. This story is based on Cathy Cassidy's book, Angel cake. It will mostly follow the same plot but I will chop and change parts to my liking. This is a Percabeth story but will include Thalico as well. Please review and tell me what you think. **

**Goddess Of Idiots. ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**All rights and characters go to Rick Riordan. I also don't own 'Angel Cake' by Cathy Cassidy.**

**Annabeth's POV**

I'm starting to rethink my thoughts of England, it isn't anything like I'd thought it would be. Instead of pretty houses and huge buildings, there are dull flats and rundown houses. It's October and its freezing cold, noisy birds are everywhere and people look at us weirdly. It's weird how quickly your impression can change. The house I'd imagined turned out to be a mouldy crumbling flat above a charity shop. It has fading wallpaper that isn't always attached to the walls. The carpet it damp and smells old, in fact the whole flat smells old. Dad has fixed some parts and painted a few walls but it still looks disappointing and sad. There are no climbing flowers around the front door, just weeds sticking out from between the gaps. The rain makes a horrible, annoying sound against the roof and for some reason I'm scared it will collapse.

It turns out life in England isn't what dad had hoped for. His business that he is in partnership with isn't doing well, it isn't making better money and instead it's taking up most of his money.

"It's just a little money problem, that's all." Is what dad calls it but I know it's more than that.

"We'll buy a proper family house or make this flat better, I promised we'd have a better life in England so we'll make one." Dad promised us.

I didn't understand how this stupid flat could be any better than our house in Greece. It was made of grey stone and had four bedrooms. It was very architectural, with arches and curves everywhere. It made me want to be an architect when I grow up. But seeing how bad the places are in England, makes me what to bulldoze the whole place and start again!

That night I lay in my creaky bed staring out a gap in the curtains. Dad was right, you couldn't see the stars in England, there were too many lights. Even in the dead of night the city of Leeds is still very much alive. I can hear cars go by, their headlights flashing once in a while, the sound of music and laughter fills the streets. But the loudest sound of all is Bobby and Matthew crying into their pillows. I want nothing more to be confident enough to comfort them, tell them everything will be alright. But I can't because I don't know myself if things will turn out alright.

The next day we walk down the bustling busy streets of Leeds to a simple church tucked away down a country lane. It's a Greek Orthodox Church, it looks alright I guess, better than some buildings I've seen around here. It's not as good as the Churches back in Greece. The one in front of me is simple and boring whereas the ones back in Greece would be tall and grand, the elegant style fitting in with the rest of Athens. I stare at the church before walking inside. Instead of my footsteps echoing on marble floor like they would in the Church back in Greece, they make the floorboards beneath my feet squeak and creak. We sit in the front of the church and I listen intently to the service, not missing one word. Partly because I had too but mostly because the service was said in Greek, a language I could understand, not like English.

Once the service is over we are introduced to some of dad's friends that he works with. I talk to two girls about the same age as me.

"Just don't let them know you're scared." One girl said.

"I'm _not_ scared!" I argue.

The girl just smiles at me like she knows I'm lying. But I'm not exactly lying, I'm not scared, I'm terrified. I'm stuck in a country millions of miles from home where I don't know the language and I don't belong here.

The next morning, I pull myself out of bed and get dressed. The school uniform is a white shirt, blue and yellow striped tie, grey pleated skirt and navy blue blazer. It feels itchy and uncomfortable and it looks terrible stupid. It's so different from Greece where we were allowed to wear whatever we wanted. But even though it looks stupid, I like everything to be orderly and proper so I kind of like wearing a school uniform, I guess that fashion in England is just different. Our mum walks us to school, the rain drizzles down our small umbrellas over our heads. Bobby and Matthew chat and laugh with each other as they jump in puddles, I wonder how they can be so confident. But they are going to Primary school, Secondary school is like a whole new world, I knew how rude and mean people could be. My mum is wearing a pencil skirt and a shirt and blazer. I knew why, she was looking for a job to help dad with the cash flow. I didn't know what type of job you could get without speaking English but at the moment I just hope we'll have enough money.

We walk into the bustling playground of St. Raglans. It is full of screaming and shouting kids in the same tacky uniform as mine.

Somehow we find our way to the office. Mum and I fill in forms, we use a lot of hand gestures and sign language to help the office staff to understand what we are talking about. Mum constantly looks at me to translate what they are saying but they language I've been studying so hard at in Greece seems nothing like the English they are speaking now. I met the head teacher, Mr Murphy, he shakes our hands and talks to us like we are three year olds. He gets a woman named Mrs Phillips to escort me to my classroom.

I arrive outside room 14 and walk in. All eyes are on me, the blonde haired grey eyed new girl. I cringe at how I must look, my hair is tied up in a simple pony tail, my grey eyes look intimidating and cold. Not anything like the other girls sitting in the classroom with their contacts and bleached hair. Short skirts, open shirts and faces caked in make-up. I want to disappear into a world where nothing is complicated and I know what I'm supposed to be doing. I sit down at an empty desk with kids crowding round me, staring at me like I'm there new toy. They prod and poke me, ask me questions that I don't understand. The bell can't come soon enough and when it does I resist the urge to shout out thank you!

Kids have adopted me, escorting and dragging me to every lesson.

"This is Annabeth, she's from Greece. Go on, say something Annabeth!" They tease.

Every time I open my mouth to answer their questions, my voice doesn't come out and I end up sitting there with my mouth open like a fish. The other kids just laugh and roll their eyes. I try to sit at the back, as far away as I can from the others so no one will notice me cry. I've never really cried before, I never needed to. It seemed my life was perfect, but now I didn't want to do anything but cry. By the end of the day I'm exhausted, I sit down on the sofa while Bobby and Matthew tell me about the new song they learnt in English. They dance around the room singing and laughing.

"How was your day Annabeth?" They ask.

"Fine." I answer trying not to rip their heads off.

"I love it here, I made so many friends today!" exclaimed Bobby.

Matthew nodded his head agreeing with his brother.

I admit, I was feeling really jealous that my younger brothers were getting on better than I was at school.

"I've got a job!" added in mum.

I smiled widely.

"What is it?" I ask excited.

Her smile fades.

"Oh, it's just some cleaning work that's all, but that's all I could expect with my English. But at least we'll have more money coming in." said mum.

But I could tell it was a big deal. Mum had a great job back in Greece. She ran a bakery in town making all sorts of traditional cakes and treats. And now in England she's stuck cleaning up other peoples mess. I feel bad for mum, she didn't want to come to England in the first place, only because it was what dad wanted and now we're probably going to run out of money.

"Mum, what if it doesn't work out in England? What if we just can't settle?" I ask her quietly.

"We will settle, I know it. You and I both know that we never give up without a fight." Mum replied.

I give her a watery smile and walk off to where my bed is. Mum's right, I won't give up without a fight, I won't let the kids at school get to be. I look out of the window, squawking pigeons fly past, hurting my ears. I think of the elegant birds in Greece and I've never felt so out of place.

**Sorry for the long wait. I hope you liked this chapter, next chapter will introduce Rachel, Percy, Thalia and Nico. Please review and I hope to see you next time. **

**Goddess Of Idiots ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**All rights and characters go to Rick Riordan. I also don't own 'Angel Cake' by Cathy Cassidy.**

**Annabeth's POV**

I've realized that no matter worse you think a place is, it will probably get worse. In other words, life at St. Raglans wasn't getting any better. The first few day's students would stare at me curiously and want to learn more about me but I didn't have the words to form my sentences or have the answers to their questions. All it is now, is rowdy chaotic kids, stone-hearted teachers and stupid lessons that don't make any sense. Truth be told it's like a farm full of mentally ill animals! I don't even know how the place qualifies as a school. There is always kids pushing and shoving, screaming and shouting. But worse of all is the teacher's just sit there and watch as the kids turn the school into a madhouse. Maybe they know the kids have less intelligence than a mouse or maybe they've just given up on the kids like me.

I thought I was good at English but apparently not. When I first got here I didn't understand a word anyone was saying, I didn't know how to respond to their weird questions. I understand the accent now, before it didn't matter if I didn't know the words they were saying because I couldn't even work out what they were saying because of their strong accent. I understand most thing now but it's too late, the kids have moved on and lost interest in me. I feel like an exhibit in a museum, interesting for the first few days but boring for all the time after. I've given up on trying to be notice, I've learnt that it's easier to just stand by the side lines and watch on in silence. Most of the kids leave me alone apart from the snide comment here and there, they act as if I'm invisible, it's just a shame I'm not. I'm sick and tired at teachers who sigh and roll their eyes when I don't know what they're asking me. I'm annoyed with kids who think I'm completely stupid and don't know what they say behind my back. But most of all I'm fed up with being stuck in a school and a country where no-one understands me. It's better to be silent. The teachers forgot I'm in their lessons and the kids ignore me and treat me like I'm deaf as well as silent. Seriously, the kids talk about me when I'm standing right next to them and think I don't realize.

"It must be tough coming to a country where you don't know the language, I feel sorry for her…"

"Well she should at least try though, I mean what is she even _doing _here if she can't be bothered to learn our language…"

Seriously, how are they so stupid? Why do they think I don't want to learn English? Because if I did learn it I can understand what they are saying and some of its so mean I don't want to understand!

In PSE, the kids in my class sit on their desks putting make up on and throwing paper planes around while the teacher sits at her desk staring at them as if she has lost all hope. I don't blame her though because to be honest, I've lost all hope too. PSE stands for Personal and Social Education. At first I was a bit confused as to why you'd need lessons on how to be a social person but after 2 weeks at this school I understand these kids need all the help they can get! Miss Regan is our teacher and she is trying to get the classes attention but they just keep on chatting and ignore her. I feel sorry for Miss Regan, she's a really nice and cheerful teacher but the kids here just take advantage of her. Back in Greece my class would have loved this teacher but I guess in England you aren't taught manners. Miss hits the desk with a book and all the kids turn silent and return to their seats.

"Right children, today I want you to write about the worst day of your life." Miss said smiling at us all.

Well that won't be hard at all for me, I could choose any day from my past 2 weeks here. So far I haven't tried to take part in any lessons. What's the point of learning French if I can't even figure out English? In some lessons there is a support teacher but she doesn't speak Greek so she might as well not be there. I do try in some lessons where the words don't really matter, like Art and Maths but even then I don't know if I'm doing the right thing.

Mostly I just sit at my desk and dream of the warm Greek summers down at the beach. At the end of the day I just copy down the homework, close my book and try to forget about it. Trying to take part in PSE would be just stupid- my vocabulary is small and my grammar is terrible. It would just be a waste of my energy. _The worst day of my life..._

For some reason my exercise book is open and my pen moves over a clean sheet of paper. Words and feeling pour out, words about my first day here, feelings of being somewhere I don't belong. I talk about the crazed students who study me like a new pet, cold-eyes teachers who are already fed up with me. Everyone circling me like a pack of wild animals who could tear me apart at any time…

Miss Regan raps on her desk for silence and I snap close my book.

"Thank you 8r," she says brightly. "Is there anyone who would like to read there's out to the class?" she asks.

The silence is awkward. Even I thought it was a bit stupid, pour your heart out onto a piece of paper and then read it out to the class? Er, I don't think so, for most people that's social suicide.

"No need to be shy guys, who wants to go first?" she asks again.

Rachel Dare yawns rudely, rolls her eyes and closes her exercise book.

Miss Regan looks around nervously. "Leo? Nico?" she asks hopefully. "Thalia?"

Silence.

She won't ask me, no one ever does. If the teachers see me writing, they assume I'm filling out my language worksheets they give me sometimes or just drawing. I guess it's a good thing Miss ignores me, I don't know how the kids would feel about me describing them as wild animals!

"Percy perhaps?" Miss tries.

Percy Jackson is a tall, tanned boy who sitting across the aisle from me. He has sea green eyes and windswept raven black hair that is never tidy. He mostly has a mischievous smirk planted on his face and his eyes are always sparkling. Apart from now, his sea green eyes are swirling like a storm and his smirk is replaced with a scowl.

"No chance!" Percy replies.

Miss Regan looks desperate.

"Someone has to start, please Percy, I noticed you wrote quite a lot…" She says

Percy sighs. He picks up his exercise book and tears it in half, then in half again and then again until he has a huge pile of ripped paper pied up on his desk. I'd say it's pretty obvious he _doesn't_ want to read his work out loud.

"Perseus!" Miss Regan yelps. "You can't- you mustn't- that book is school property!"

Percy raises his eyebrows. He doesn't seem too worried. But I watch on in horror as Rachel passes him a plastic lighter under the desk. Percy grasps it and in one flicker of a flame, he lights the ripper book on fire and all of a sudden we have a desktop bonfire. Percy pulls on his rucksack and strolls out of the classroom without a second glance. The class has gone crazy. Girls are screaming, boys are laughing and everyone is trying to get a safe distance away from the flames. Miss Regan looks as if she wants to cry but she yanks a fire extinguisher of the wall and sprays the mini bonfire with foam, smothering the flames and putting them out. Maybe I was wrong about the whole wild animal's thing, this is more of a prison riot!

"I think it's out, you can all return to your seats." Says Miss Regan.

But that's when the fire alarm starts to screech. Worst day ever? I'd say for Miss Regan, this is probably it.

We file out of the classroom and are pushed down corridors until we reach the field. We line up in tutor groups and huddle together in the drizzling rain. Miss Regan counts us and checks the register.

"Two missing." She sighs. "Percy Jackson and Nico Di Angelo."

It's pretty obvious as to why Percy has run off, if I were him I would have legged it to. Nico's absence is more worrying. He is a quiet boy who tends to wear dark clothes and keep to himself.

"I think I saw him run towards the science block." A black haired girl who looks remarkable like Percy, called Thalia Grace says.

"What if he's trapped in the flames?" Thalia says dramatically.

"There are no flames," snaps Rachel Dare. "There was hardly a fire at all remember? I bet Percy set off the fire alarm on his way out for a laugh." Says Rachel.

"But what about Nico? Has anyone seen him?" ask Miss Regan.

Rachel shrugs. "Nico's most likely locked himself in the girl's toilets to cry! He's such a freak!"

"Oh just shut the hell up Rachel!" snapped Thalia.

"Enough girls, this is serious." says Miss.

Rachel smirks. "Oh look Miss, there's the head teacher." Rachel points out, as the head storms over, his face serious. "I bet he wants a word with you. After all, the fire started in your classroom and now you've lost two of your students as well!"

Miss Regan flushes pink and turns to meet the head. Class 8r breaks into little groups and starts chatting. I have no friends to talk to so I just lurk in the distance. That's when I see Nico Di Angelo sneaking along the side of the running track, behind the lines of the Year Eight pupils. He spots me watching him and brings a finger to his lips, his eyes pleading, asking me to be quiet. Well that won't be hard, when am I ever anything else? Nico sneaks closer, coming to a stop beside me.

"I don't think they've missed me." He says. "Have they?"

I bite my lip and nod, and Nico's face comes to life.

"You know what I'm saying!" he says. "Awesome!"

His smile fades.

"Um… so, they definitely know I was missing?"

I nod again.

"Well, no worries. It's not like they can prove I did anything. Not unless they actually catch me _with_ the evidence-"

The head teacher's voice echoes out across the field, making the grass ripple.

"Nico Di Angelo! Get here right this minute!"

"Oops. Talking of evidence, I soon get rid of it-for now, anyway. Please take care of these for me and keep them hidden!" he warns.

He pulls something out from under his blazer and stuffs it into my bag before smiling at me and walking off towards the head teacher.

"Where've you been Nico? Popper out to the freak convention for your personality, how cool!" Rachel sneers.

Nico ignores her as the head herds him off to wherever. Nico looks over his shoulder at me anxiously. I hold my finger up to my lips and he smiles in gratitude.

As soon as they are out of sight, I delve into my bag to see what Nico had put in there. My hand slides along my pencil case, my school books, gym kit until I recoil my hand when I feel a small moving thing. I blink and shake my head. I reach into my bag again and jump back when I feel a soft and shaken something darts away from my touch. Nico Di Angelo has put a small fury animal into my bag. I look inside and realize that Nico hasn't actually put one furry animal in there, but 4! 4 little grey faces with black beady eyes and twitching pink noses look up at me from my bag. In my bag I have four small grey mice.

The really annoying thing is that Nico Di Angelo has vanished off of the face of the earth leaving me with four mice in my bag. I had to keep checking in my bag and rearranging things because the mice are so small I thought they might get squashed by one of my books or something! This is not one of my favourite days! To be honest, I don't hate mice, they're better than rats anyway. And anyway, the mice in my bag are really cute. They have soft grey fur and their little ears twitch when there's noise. The mice seem to be tame anyway but I still can't work out why they're in my bag.

By the time the fire brigade have checked over the school and gave us the all clear to go back in its past midday. We trail back to our classrooms to collect any stray bags and hand in our books. Percy Jackson's desk is no longer full of flaming paper or mountains of foam. Instead there is some ash on top and it has a kind of burnt smell around it.

The bell rings for lunch and I walk off to the canteen but there is still no sign of Nico Di Angelo. I think the mice might be hungry because it has eaten some of my language worksheets. I choose a salad so that I can eat and so that I can give some to the mice without looking suspicious. I find a nice table in the corner out of the way of most people. I open my bag and put some cheese inside. I start to eat my lunch when Thalia Grace slides into the seat across from me.

"Salad?" she asks frowning at my plate. "That's rabbit food." She comments.

I guess you could call it rabbit food but it mice seem to like it too. Thalia has a cheeseburger and a coke and her tray. I take it she doesn't like salad, to be honest I'm not a huge fan of it either but I needed food for the mice. I stuff some more cheese into my bag and zip it up tightly.

"You don't talk a lot." Remarks Thalia sipping her coke. "Everyone thinks you're either dim or just stuck up, but I think you're just shy. You're probably trying to take it all in, that's what I would be like especially at this zoo of a school."

"Don't you want friends?" she asks.

I take a long look at Thalia, she dresses a lot like Nico. She has short black hair that with a few blue streaks in the front. She has pale skin and eyes that seem to crackle with electricity. She is wearing ripped dark blue jeans that have loads of zips on them, a purple and black top, a black leather jacket and black combat boots. She looks pretty fierce and she looks like someone you wouldn't want to get in a fight with. Even though she looks pretty mean, you can see that she is also really fun and friendly. Besides, I don't want to be a girl with only four mice as friends! I try for a smile and Thalia notices and grins back at me.

"You can call be Thal's if you like." She says.

**Well that's another chapter done, I hope you enjoyed it. I have a question for all you readers, I consider myself a daughter of Hermes so who is your Godly parent? Please review and answer my questions in your reviews. See you soon. **

**Goddess Of Idiots. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**All rights and characters go to Rick Riordan. I also don't own 'Angel Cake' by Cathy Cassidy.**

**Annabeth's POV**

Thalia and I are sitting at the lunch table when Rachel Dare comes swaggering over. She is wearing a bright pink belly top and a black mini skirt with purple high heels and shocking amount of red lipstick on. Her face is twisted into a sneer.

"What's up Thalia?" she says, he voice dripping with venom.

Rachel looked up and down at Thalia's clothes.

"Didn't feel like wearing the dumpster today? Obviously you chose to wear the dump instead!" sneered Rachel.

I don't know how she can say things like that when she is practically not wearing any clothes.

"Didn't feel like wearing any clothes today or are you just _trying_ to be a slut?" asks Thalia.

I sit there in the middle of the table awkwardly while Rachel and Thalia continue to argue above me. I look back up at them both. Thalia is glaring daggers at Rachel and her glare makes me shiver. Rachel on the other hand is standing with her hands on her hips and telling Thalia how weird freaky girls like Thalia shouldn't be wearing black clothes as it affects Rachel's sight. I bite my lip, it's very hard to stay quiet sometimes. I catch Rachel's eye and give her a long, hard glare. She stops what she is saying to turn to me.

"What are you looking at Anna, Annie whatever your name is?" sneered Rachel. "If you've got something to say, say it!"

And I would say something if I could but the words are stuck in my throat. I don't have the words and even if I did, I would tangle up the meanings. And I'm angry that I don't have the words, or the confidence to stick up for the others. I'm angry for kids like Thalia and Nico who lose confidence, who have to deal with people like Rachel every time the come to school. I may not have the words but I do have something to fight with. I slowly bend down and unzip my bag and open it.

"Oh I forgot you, you don't talk, do you?" Rachel sneers.

"Face it Geeky Greek girl, you don't belong here, so why don't you just BACK OFF. Go back to where you come from…"

Rachel's voice trails off into silence as the four mice sprint across her high heels. Rachel may be a mean girl but there is nothing wrong with her eyesight… or her vocal cords.

"Moussssssssee!" she screeches in a voice that could shatter glass.

Rachel, Thalia and I are sitting on plastic chairs outside Mr Murphy's office. We are in huge trouble. That little row we had at lunch with the mice turned into a huge riot. The girls screamed and jumped on tables, food was thrown, dinner ladies fainted and boys chased round the mice trying to catch them. When Mr Murphy finally got the place under control, he asked who started it and everyone pointed at us three. He marched us out of the lunch hall in disgrace. I looked back over my shoulder and saw Nico Di Angelo, sitting on the window ledge, blending into the shadows. Two little tails were hanging out of his blazer pocket and two pink noses poked out of his other pocket.

"This is ridiculous!" Rachel fumes. "How come we're getting the blame? Like it's _our_ fault this dump is infested with vermin!"

"I'm going to be so late!" Thalia moans. "I've got better things to do than sit her with the stupid head teacher and write lines!"

I keep silent because I don't quite know the words for "Your school is like a lunatic asylum, the kids are all insane, food-throwing arsonists and I wish I had the airfare back to Athens!" Just as well, it might have sounded a bit harsh!

I'm right, though, about the lunatic asylum bit. It turns out that the three of us are not in trouble for arguing in the lunch hall, nor even for starting a school riot. No, it's weirder than that. We are accused of stealing mice from the biology lab.

"What?" Rachel snaps when Mr Murphy explains the situation. "You think I stole some crappy mice! Er, year right!" Rachel exclaims.

"I'm not saying you took the mice, I'm just investigating and it would help if you stopped shouting Rachel!" says Mr Murphy.

"The mice were taken from their cage this morning by someone possibly under the cover of the fire alarm. A message was left on the biology lab whiteboard… _Mice have lives too" _Mr Murphy explained.

"Mice have what?" Rachel echoes. "Er, no they don't. They have scabby infected fur and they live in a flipping cage all day!" Rachel chokes out.

"I take it _you_ are no animal rights supporter?" Mr Murphy muses.

Rachel stares at the head like 'No duh' and rolls her eyes as if she wants to slap him round the face.

"Animal rights?" Thalia echoes.

"You mean to say, the person who took the mice think they _rescued_ them. Surely they don't dissect animals in schools anymore?" Thalia asks.

"Erm, or course not…" Mr Murphy assured her. "The mice were just Mr Eperon's pets."

But I knew he was lying, only the other day people had been doing it in Science.

"So are you _sure_ you girls no nothing of this theft?" Asks Mr Murphy.

"Yes sir." Rachel and Thalia chorus.

"Annabeth?" Mr Murphy turns to me. "I know you've been finding it hard to settle in here at school and that you come from a very_ different _culture. The children in the lunch hall reported a confrontation between you, Rachel and Thalia this lunchtime. And then, very _conveniently_, four mice appeared at your feet. Annabeth, did _you_, perhaps take the mice from the biology lab?" Mr Murphy asks.

"No sir." I reply politely.

But I think I know who did…

We all end up in detention, Rachel, Thalia and me. Even though Mr Murphy met a brick wall trying to uncover how the mice got into the lunch hall and what happened between Rachel, Thalia and me, he still decided to put us in detention.

"I cannot help you unless you let me." He told us.

"And I know something went in between you girls in the lunch hall." He said.

Rachel tries to turn on the charm by batting her eyelashes and insisting that the three of us are the best of friends. Mr Murphy doesn't buy the cover-up and instead chucks us in detention where we have to write lines of _I must respect my fellow pupils _over and over again. I was kind of annoyed at this because Rachel's the one with respect problems.

Over in the corner, Nico Di Angelo is writing lines too.

"He's in trouble for going missing during the fire alarm." Thalia whispers to me, raising an eyebrow. "Good job Mr Murphy hasn't figured out where he really was…"

I remember Thalia telling Miss Regan that she saw Nico running towards the Science Block earlier, and follow her gaze across the room. Nico is leaning over his desk, the tip of a little grey ear just peeking out of his blazer pocket.

At 4 o'clock, Mr Murphy looks at the clock on the wall.

"Well, young man." He says to Nico Di Angelo.

"I hope you've learnt you're lesson! Disappearing during a fire alarm is a very serious matter."

"Sorry sir, it won't happen again." Says Nico.

"As for you girls." Mr Murphy continues, "I'm not happy about today's little incident… not happy at all. I will be watching you all very carefully."

"Will you sir?" Rachel Dare asks, batting her eyelashes and sticking out her chest. "Oh!"

Mr Murphy turns a startling shade of pink.

"Off you go now, all of you!" He says exasperated.

The four of us straggle out into the rain. Nico gives us a wave before running on ahead. Rachel Dare huddles in the doorway, beneath a Hello Kitty umbrella, lighting a cigarette. She is trying to look cool and hard, but she is coughing way too much to look like either.

Thalia Grace falls into step beside me. "That girl is something else," she says darkly as we walk towards Mosslea Road, jumping over puddles like little kids.

"Poisonous little bitch." Thalia says.

"Rachel is not a nice girl." I sigh.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Thalia says.

"You understand a lot more than you let on, and you can speak if you want to! So… friends?" Thalia asks.

She pulls her jacket around her and offers me her arm.

"Yes, friends." I smile and link arms with her.

"Call me Thal's!" She says smiling as we walk along the road together, arm in arm.

"What a day! She sighs. "Arson, animal rights kidnappings, fights in the lunch hall, mice riots, detentions…!

"School in England is not like home." I say, picking my words carefully.

"Well, it's not always like this! It's usually not this good!" She exclaims.

I frown, I don't think I've exactly picked up on the English sense of humour.

"Does it always rain in Leeds?" I ask.

Thalia laughs. "Of course not! The weather had been crap since you've been here, I admit but…" she looks over at me, her fierce face kind.

"You hate it here, don't you Annabeth?" she says gently.

"No, I…"

But it's no good, the words have deserted me and I wipe my face, pretending I'm wiping away raindrops instead of tears.

"It's not so bad, once you get used to it anyway. Besides, you never know, you might learn to enjoy it. After all miracles _do _happen!" She says.

Yeah right. Then again, I guess it's never too late to hope. We turn the corner into Mosslea Road and there on the pavement in front of the steps is… an angel.

No, seriously. A dark haired boy wearing white-feathered angel wings is standing on the kerb, facing away from us, holding a tray and a large white umbrella. And then he turns around and I do a double take, because this is no angel at all, it's Percy Jackson. At least I think it is.

It's kind of hard to tell because he's not burning exercise books or setting off fire alarms, and he isn't scowling. He is carrying a big tray of home-made cupcakes, all pastel icing and sugar-strand sprinkles, tilting the umbrella carefully to keep them dry. His sea green eyes are shining behind a curtain of windblown black hair, his mouth stretched wide into a grin. And then he sees us, and his face falls.

"Do you see what I see?" Thalia asks, holding my arm a little tighter.

"I see." I tell her.

"Angel boy." Thalia says.

It takes me a while to realize what she means because the Greek word for 'English' sounds a bit like angel. Percy Jackson may be English, but I'm not sure he is an angel, even with the wings! He looks around as if to search for escape routes, but unless he wants to risk running through the main road, he has nowhere to go.

"He's selling cakes," Thalia whispers. "It must be a part-time job. C'mon, let's take a look!"

She drags me over, lifts up the white umbrella and pulls me under its shelter. We are face to face with Percy Jackson, the arsonist of Year Eight. Up close, I'm pretty sure that I can see a faint blush under his tanned skin. I can smell vanilla, warm and sweet, but that's _obviously _the cakes, of course.

"All right, Thalia?" Percy Jackson says. "Annabeth?"

He know my name. I thought I was invisible, but Percy can see me. His sea green eyes hold with my grey eyes and he smiles, churning butterflies in my stomach. Some freezing rain drips off the umbrella and down my neck, bringing me back to reality.

"It's weird Percy." Thalia says, tugging at one of his white-feathered wings.

"I never had you down as the angelic type!" Thalia tells him.

"You don't know everything, oh wise cousin! Just don't tell anyone OK? How come you're so late coming out of school anyway? I thought everyone had gone, I thought I was safe…"

Thalia smiles when he calls her cousin, and its only then I realized why they look so similar. They're cousins, related, yet they don't act alike. Percy is really popular at school, so how come Thalia isn't? Thalia's face falls when he tells her not to tell anyone.

"We had detention. Some weirdo set fire to his desk this morning, and then the whole day went downhill from there… remind me to tell you about it sometime." Thalia tells him but she has a shine in her eyes and I can tell she loves her cousin, no matter what he does.

"Don't bother, its old news anyway." Percy replies. "Want a cupcake?" he asks.

It turns out that Percy Jackson is actually giving away cupcakes for free. He tells us that today is the opening day of brand new café, Heaven. And he's giving away free cakes as a special promotion for a few special people.

"What's the catch?" Thalia asks.

"There's no catch, the boss is just looking for friendly people who could become regulars." Percy replies.

"Yeah right Percy. There's always a catch with you!" Thalia says.

Percy rolls his eyes at here but doesn't argue.

"Look, I'm just… look, today is the opening for my mum's new café and I just want it to work out great, plus its free. Please, for me at least?" Percy says.

"Fine, just for Aunt Sally, and I'm not saying yes just because you begged me" Thalia sighs.

Percy grins and passes us both a cake. I bite into mine and sigh, it's amazing. The frosty icing melts onto my tongue.

"So… what'd you think? Great huh?" Percy asks grinning.

I nod and smile.

"Definitely, free cake, count us in!" Thalia laughs.

Percy laughs and passes us both a pastel coloured flyer that says Heaven at the top, with the phrase, life is sweet. There is an address and a snip-off voucher for free cakes.

"It's just across the street, in Havelock Road," he tells us. "Annabeth, you're soaking wet! Haven't you even got a hat? Never mind, here… take my umbrella, I'll just hang around under the roof." Percy says.

Definitely a miracle. I smile slightly at him from behind my dripping hair, Thalia laughs, grabbing the umbrella from Percy and shelters us both underneath it.

"You really are an angel, aren't you Percy?" Thalia smiles.

"You'd better believe it!" He replies.

Heaven is warm and dry, with pale squashy seats and mismatched tables and chairs all jumbled up. The place is packed with noisy children and busy parents, there is a happy atmosphere to the place and it smells divine. Then I see the cakes… there is no way to describe them but I'll try. There is a long glass counter filled to the brim with frosted cakes, pinks, blues and whites. Beautifully decorated with flowers, petals and stars.

"Seriously, this day just keeps getting stranger. First, my fire starter cousin chats you up in the street and lends us his umbrella. Then he gives us free cake and sends us here!" Exclaims Thalia and I get where she's coming from.

I take in a deep breath and in hail the breath taking smell of freshly baked cakes, sweet and warm floating through the air. A smiley boy, about nine or ten, in angel wings and a _Heaven _T-shirt, comes up to greet us. His sea green eyes and tanned skin mark him down as Percy's little brother, and I can see a younger girl, also in angel wings, carrying a tray of cupcakes to a busy table.

"Have you got vouchers, did Percy send you?" He asks.

"He sure did Luke." Replied Thalia.

Percy's younger brother looked surprised at being called by his name.

"Oh, hey Thal's, I didn't recognize you at first, come right this way." Luke said.

He led us through the crowded café.

"It's a bit crazy, it being opening day and everything." Luke explained. "It's our first day and the vouchers have been pretty popular, but if you don't mind sharing I'm sure I could find a seat for my favourite cousin." Luke smiled

Luke led us over to a nice cosy corner table. At the table, slurping a chocolate milkshake was none other than Nico Di Angelo.

"Hey" Thalia says, sliding into a seat. "If isn't the mystery mice-napper!"

"Shhh," Nico says. "The people here are very nice but I don't think they'd appreciate my mice running around!"

"Keep them hidden or you'll get us all thrown out!" Thalia tells him.

"Whatever. I still can't believe I saw Percy Jackson in angel wings, seriously I would have thought Devil horns and a tail would be more his style, this has been one crazy day!" Laughed Nico.

"It's not over yet." Muttered Thalia.

I follow her gaze across the room. The youngest waiter is carrying a tray of cakes to our table but there is someone behind her.

"There's a seat here." The girl says.

"Thanks Calypso, I really appreciate you bringing her here!" Thalia says sarcastically.

The youngest girl, Calypso mouths a sorry and skips away to serve more customers.

Rachel Dare slips into an empty seat with a sour look on her face.

"This sucks," Rachel moans, looking at us all with a sneer. "What are you losers doing here?"

"Nice to see you too." Nico says.

Rachel just scowls at him.

"Percy told me the vouchers were for special customers," She huffs, "What's so special about you lot?"

"Our wit, our charm, our sparkling good looks." Thalia says.

"Oh yeah- and we're willing to put up with you." Thalia scowls.

"Or not." Added Nico under his breath.

"I wouldn't kid yourselves that I want to sit here with you freaks. I'm only here because of the free cake, plus Percy said he'd meet me here after he ditched the cakes and flyers." Rachel smirks.

I frown. Percy may have given me a cupcake, an umbrella and a smile that made me feel butterflies, but he definitely didn't make a date for later. I guess Rachel with her sparkly eye shadow and popularity, is much more his type. Anybody would be more his type, really, than me.

Silent, drenched and miserable is not a look most boys go for.

"This cream sponge looks amazing!" Breathed Thalia.

"Seriously, you're the last person who needs free cake, Thalia Grace." Rachel snorts. "There must be like a million grams of sugar in this stuff. And with your ADHD it'll just make you worse than you already are, if you can get any worse." Sneers Rachel.

I watch as Thalia's eyes dim. Thalia may be tough but she still has feelings and it was then I wish I had the courage to slap Rachel Dare. Thalia's words _poisonous little bitch _spring to mind. If nothing else, Rachel is expanding my English vocabulary! It's a pity I don't have mice in my bag to shut her up with this time, but Nico comes to the rescue instead.

"Just shut up Rachel!" He snaps.

Rachel blinks in surprise at Nico's sudden change of attitude, she opens her mouth to respond but Nico stares her down and she keeps her mouth shut. Nico sighs and bites into his cream sponge and smiles in delight, just like a young child. Thalia stares at her cake for a while, pondering Rachel's earlier words but soon she just caves in and tastes it. Her eyes widen and she smiles widely.

"Oh my Gods, what does Sally put in this stuff? No wonder they call this place Heaven!" Thalia exclaims.

"I suppose Percy did us all a favour, not just with the free cake." Rachel says. "His little stunt with the flaming exercise book got us out of morning lessons." She continues.

Her face darkens as she frowns at Thalia and me.

"And then I got out of afternoon lessons as well, thanks to you two… and whichever freak stole them flea-bitten mice from the biology lab." Rachel says.

"Oh?" Nico asks, pretending to be innocent.

"Didn't you hear? Someone nicked Mr Eperon's pet mice while the fire alarm was ringing," Rachel explains. "Probably some animal rights nut who thought it was still legal to experiment on animals."

"It is still legal." Nico tells her.

"Not in schools. The head says that the mice were just Mr Eperon's pets." Thalia points out.

"And you believe him?" Nico asks, raising an eyebrow. "I don't trust him. He used to keep mice in the biology lab and kill them so the kids could dissect them, just to show stupid things like how long a rat's intestine is."

"Freaky." Thalia shivers. "Sounds like something from the dark ages."

"It wasn't that long ago," Nico says. "My mum went to St. Raglan's, back in the nineties, and Mr Eperon taught her. Mum got excluded for three days, once, for refusing to cut up a mouse."

Rachel pulls a face. "Don't tell me," She says. "I bet your mum's some homeless freak, just like you."

Nico looks out of the window and blinks. "My mum's dead." He says quietly. "Her and my dad were killed in a hotel explosion when I was six."

A shiver runs down my spine and my cake fork clatters onto the table. Rachel is mortified.

"I'm sorry!" She whispers, her face pale. "I didn't know, Nico, honest…"

"That's so sad Nico." Thalia echoes.

He shrugs. "I was only a young." He explains. "I don't remember much about them, but I live with my older sister, and she tells me stories of some things my parents did at school. I couldn't believe it when I heard the mouse story. I never did like Mr Eperon, but knowing that he got my mum excluded like that-"

"That loser!" Rachel says angrily. She has changed sides suddenly.

"And he still keeps mice in his classroom, what a bastard!" Says Thalia.

"I guess my mum and me are quite alike." Nico is saying. "She always did what she felt needed to be done for the sake of others, and she always stood up for what she believed in, and… well…"

Rachel's mouth drops open. "It was you!" She gasps. "You stole the mice."

Nico looks around as if to see who is listening, lucky him everyone is too busy enjoying the delicious cakes.

"I have a younger sister called Hazel, she's only 6." Nico says. "My older sister, Bianca is 17, she has to provide for the both of us and she still goes to school. Last week Hazel asked if she could get a pet, I knew Bianca would say no because we just didn't have that money. I felt really bad because Hazel had no toys or anything fun to do like another kids have. So I did what my mum would have done, I did what had to be done to help others, I stole the mice so that Hazel could have some pets, mice are her favourite animal and they are easy to look after. Plus, it serves Mr Eperon right for excluding my mum!"

I am glad that Rachel is sitting on the other side of the table, because it means she can't see the little tail hanging out of Nico's pocket.

"Hang on," Says Rachel. "Where exactly…"

I bite my lip, if Rachel spots the mice, things could get nasty. A repeat of the lunch hall incident isn't what Heaven needs on its opening day. Luckily, at that moment the steamed-up café door swings open and Percy Jackson comes in, his black hair plastered to his head, his wings dripping.

"Percy!" Rachel yells. "Over here! I've been saving you a seat!"

Percy picks his way through the crowded café.

"Hey!" He grins. "You wouldn't have thought it would be so hard to give away free cake!"

"You should have ditched them in the nearest bin." Rachel tells him.

Percy frowns at her. "No, I wanted to do it properly," He says. "Move up, Thal's." Percy says.

Thalia shuffles along into the seat beside Rachel, and Percy flops down next to me with a wink. Rachel's smile has turned upside down but my heart just about flips over.

"I handed one to a woman whose umbrella had blown inside out," Percy is saying. "Then there were two little kids in wellies and a guy selling _The Morley Times_ on the corner, I gave him three."

Percy hangs the dripping angel wings on the back of his chair, grinning and I'm surprised to see myself grinning right back. He shrugs off his wet jacket to reveal a tight black T-shirt with _Heaven_ printed across the chest, and that's kind of appropriate as right now I feel as if I've died and gone there.

Being invisible is dangerous, obviously, because once you start to materialize again you feel pretty grateful to anyone who happens to notice you're alive. That's all it is, I tell myself. It's not like I am falling for a boy who tears up exercise books and sets fire to his desk.

Even I can see that would be a very bad idea…

**Hey guys, I'd just like to say, thank you so much for the reviews last time. And to whoever wondered why Nico stole the mice, well you know now. So on Thursday, we had this stupid day where we had to do maths and science all day, with our form! Seriously my form is a nightmare, and so is my form tutor! We were learning about the solar system and my form being the immature year 7's they are made so many jokes about one ****_certain _****planet. Also we made planets out of salt dough and Jupiter and Saturn were huge whereas Earth was tiny and my two friends, Adrian and Santiago were flipping playing catch with Jupiter and Saturn. They then dropped the two planets on the floor, squashing Earth and losing Neptune in the process! Because Jupiter and Saturn were now round on the top and flat on the bottom, they started calling them Patricks Rock from SpongeBob, yes I worry about their brains too, and the rest of my form! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and see you next Sunday!**

**Goddess Of Idiots. ;) **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**All rights and characters go to Rick Riordan. I also don't own 'Angel Cake' by Cathy Cassidy.**

**Annabeth's POV**

I finish my last mouthful of cake with a sigh.

"Oi," Rachel says, jabbing Thalia in the ribs. "Didn't you lot say you had to be going?"

"Hm, I didn't remember that Rachel, maybe you should ask us nicely." Mused Thalia.

"I'd better head off anyway," Nico admits. "Bianca will start to worry."

"I, also." I say.

The three of us get to our feet and Rachel grins and shifts along a little to sit closer to Percy. Then her face falls, because Percy stands up too, saying he can't let us go out in that rain, he'll walk with us, bringing his big umbrella.

"But you only just got here!" Whines Rachel.

"It's fine." Percy shrugs. "It's no hassle."

Rachel scowls, "Well… I guess I'll come too."

We pull on wet jackets, push our chairs under the table.

"Not leaving the angel wings, surely, Percy?" Thalia teases, and he laughs and pulls them on.

The café is quieter now, with just a few lingering customers and the little-sibling waiters wiping down tables. A tired-women with brown hair that was streaked with grey and she had kind eyes. She's sweeping the floor but smiles widely when she sees Percy.

"Won't be long," Percy tells them. "Five minutes, OK? I'll help you clear up." He ruffles the hair of his brother Luke on the way out.

That's how I end up walking down Mosslea Road in the pouring rain, squashed under a big umbrella with Thalia, Nico, Rachel and a green-eyed boy in dripping angel wings. Rachel, who has managed to hide her own umbrella, links arms with Percy.

"It must be tough Annabeth," Percy is saying. "Starting over in a whole new country where you don't even speak the language…"

"Yes it is." I tell him.

"We'll help you, though," Thalia says. "That's what's friends are for. Right?"

Nico and Percy nod, grinning, but Rachel rolls her eyes.

"Try talking a bit more," Nico suggests. "Get to know people."

"I don't have the words," I explain. "Is all… tangled up in my head. Yes? People do not understand!"

"We understand," Percy points out. "Your accent's weird, but it's kind of cute too!"

I decide maybe I will talk more often if Percy Jackson thinks my accent's cute!

"Whatever," Rachel says crossly. "Just don't make such a fuss about, Annabeth. You'll be OK."

For the first time since I got to England, I think maybe I will.

We leave Thalia outside her flat at the end of Mosslea Road, wave goodbye to Nico at his sisters little apartment near the main road. Rachel's house is a smart Victorian semi with a pretty front garden, the kind of place I imagined us living in, and I try not to dislike her for having what I wanted and didn't get. She pauses beside the blue painted gate, giving Percy her sparkliest smile.

"Want to come in and dry off a bit?" She asks.

"My parents will be out till late, and I've got that new _Katy Perry _CD…"

Before Percy can answer, a light goes on inside the house ad two figures can be seen moving about inside. Rachel rolls her eyes.

"Oh great," She huffs. "Another time, OK?"

"See you, Rachel," Percy calls, then turns to me. "Where now?"

"Across the park," I tell him. "Flat above charity shop."

Now it's just Percy and me, under the umbrella, and the rest of the world seems to fade as we go through the gates into Robin Hill Park and squelch across the grass, dodging puddles.

"Boy am I in trouble," Percy sighs, shaking his head. "The school are bound to write, or ring, or something… I don't usually do stuff like that, Annabeth. I lost the plot, y'know? It's not like I was trying to burn down the school. I just didn't want to read my work out in class, that's all. No big deal."

We walk past the frozen boating lake, and Percy stops, his face frowning and anxious.  
"You must think I'm a real loser." Sighed Percy.

I shake my head. I can think of lots of words to describe Percy Jackson, but loser is not one of them.

"No," I tell him. "Not a loser."

Percy rakes a hand through messy black hair and swears under his breath.

"How come I always get things so wrong?" he growls. "What is wrong with me?"

He kicks out at a broken-down bit of wall just by beside the far gate, then slumps down on to it, head in hands. I stand for a moment in the pouring rain, then Percy tilts the umbrella and pats the wall beside him and I sit down too. The wall is damp and cold, and uneven but it's doesn't seem to matter because Percy is right next to me. The umbrella tilts forward, shielding us from the world, so that just our legs and boots stick out into the rain.

"I feel like a loser," Percy huffs. "It's just… Miss Regan asked us to write about personal stuff, right? Then she asked us to read it out loud, but private stuff is supposed to stay private! I didn't want the whole class knowing my business. So when Rachel handed me the lighter… I didn't even think, I just wanted to get rid of what I'd written. When I get angry, I act first and think later. Big mistake, huh?"

That kind of an understatement. Percy must have wanted to keep his writing secret pretty badly. If he was ready to set fire to it rather than read it out in class.

"Bet Murphy excludes me," Percy says, kicking a bit of crumbling brickwork. "Mum will be really upset, and Dad will go crazy, and things will get even worse at home. Nightmare. Stupid café. Stupid Dad. Stupid School…"

The dark, scowly frown fades from Percy's face and he sighs heavily, shoulders slumped. Now he doesn't look angry so much as lost, a sad-eyed boy in wet angel wings with all the cares of the world on his shoulders. He looks at me sideways.

"Don't know why I'm telling you all this," he says. "You don't even know what I'm saying do you? Not all of it, anyway. Just as well. I'm not much of an angel, that's for sure."

I want to tell Percy that I understand a lot more than he thinks, nut I can't find the words, so I just smile. Percy smiles back, his sea green eyes shining, and then, before I can even see it coming, he leans across and kisses me softly.

I have never been kissed before. Percy Jackson smells of milkshake and vanilla. The umbrella drops to the ground and cold rain falls on us like confetti, but Percy's lips are warm and sweet as sugar frosting. Then he pulls back, moving away from me.

"Hey," he says. "We'd better get you home."

Home? My mind has emptied of everything except Percy. I don't want to come back into the real world, but Percy seems to be in a hurry. He scoops up the umbrella and pulls me to my feet.

"Where did you say you lived?" He asks. "The flat above the charity shop, right?"

He takes my hand, steering me through the park gates and across the road. The chip-shop windows are streaming with rain, and the hot smell of the rubbish burning from the dump down the road drift towards us.

Percy frowns. "One thing you should know about me, Annabeth- I'm kind of a mess, OK? Bad news."

"Bad news?" I echo.

"Sorry Annabeth… I'll see you around."

He walks away, crossing the waste ground that's littered with broken glass and scrunched-up papers, hunched under the big white umbrella.

That's the day I begin to believe in miracles. Nothing has changed, but everything has… all because of a boy in angel wings. My life is still a disaster zone. I'm still sharing a room with my little brothers in a scabby flat where the smell of musty old things clings to everything, but none of that seems to matter anymore… because of Percy.

I lie awake late into the night, listening to the sound of people outside, laughing, singing, and fighting. When I sleep, my dreams are full of a tall boy with sea-green eyes and angel wings, a boy who kissed me in the rain.

The next day I go to school with a little less dread in my heart. My heart races a little as I walk through the corridors, but there's no sign of Percy, he's not in the corridors, he's not in class, he's not in the canteen… Percy Jackson has vanished.

Thalia flops down next to me at lunchtime. It seems like I have a new friend. Thalia is an outsider, a misfit, a million miles away from Arianna and the cool, popular kids I knew back in Athens… but then I'm kind of a misfit myself these days. The laughing, pink-cheeked, hockey-mad girls I imagined I'd meet don't seem to exist outside the pages of the books Dad used to send me.

"So… Percy Jackson is gone?" I ask her, trying to be casual. "In trouble?"

"Big trouble," she says, biting into a hot dog. "He's been excluded. Mr Murphy takes that whole burn-down-the-school stuff very seriously."

"Excluded?" I ask.

"Banned from school for a few days," Thalia explains. "Still, it'll take more than that to change my cousin."

The disappointment must have shown in my face, because Thalia starts to grin.

"Wait a minute, Annabeth… he was flirting with you, right? In the café? Don't tell me you've fallen for him!"

"Percy is a friendly boy," I whisper.

Thalia snorts. "How friendly exactly?"

I can't quite meet her eye. "In the park, we talk. And then-"

"He didn't kiss you-did he?" She squeals.

I bite my lip.

Thalia shakes her head. "Seriously, Annabeth, don't go there. Percy is bad news… a scally, a troublemaker. He's not boyfriend material. Don't be fooled by the angel wings."

"I won't," I promise, even though I know it's already too late.

On Wednesday, a letter arrives from Athens. I recognize Arianna's curly handwriting and rip it open, grinning, but the smile soon fades. Arianna's upbeat chat makes me feel a million miles away from my old friends, and I guess that's exactly what I am.

When I read the bit about Layna moving into my old seat next to Arianna, my eyes blur with tears. Well, what did I expect? That Arianna, would go on sitting next to an empty desk, just because I happened to move away?

What would Arianna say about Percy Jackson? What would she say about Thalia and Nico? I'm not sure she'd be impressed with any of them, but that's too bad.

They're all I have right now.

That afternoon, I drag Bobby and Matthew along to the park, hoping to bump into Percy, but it's empty except for a few shivering mums with kids in pushchairs. The next day it's the same. The day after that, pining for a glimpse of sea-green eyes, windswept black hair, and tanned skin, I find one of the free cake vouchers in my blazer pocket and take Bobby and Matthew to the café.

I have a lot of questions, questions I just couldn't ask Thalia. If a boy kisses you, doesn't that mean something? Like maybe you're going out? In Athens, it would mean that, but Leeds might be different. Still, shouldn't Percy have been in touch by now? He didn't ask for my phone number, but maybe he could call the flat or something… anything?

We push open the café door, and find ourselves a corner seat. Percy's mum is there, and the little siblings, but there is no sign of Percy. Bobby and Matthew share a milkshake and we all eat some little frosted cupcakes. Finally I pluck up the courage to ask one of the siblings where Percy is.

"He's not well," Luke tells me solemnly. "He's got the flu."

I blink. Excluded from school _and _ill. Maybe that's why I haven't heard from him.

I tell Thalia this the next day, at break time.

"I bet the flu is just a cover-up!" She says. "Percy's parents probably don't even know he's been excluded! That boy is such a chancer"

She narrows her eyes. "How come you were at the café anyway?" She wants to know. "You weren't looking for him, were you? Annabeth, that's not how it works! Besides, you promised you wouldn't fall for him!"

"Fall for who?" Nico asks, wandering up to join us.

"Nobody," I reply.

"Percy." Thalia says, and Nico raises an eyebrow.

I wish the floor would open up and swallow me.

"He's trouble," Thalia insists "He was OK the other day with the cakes and umbrella, that was a surprise. But I know my cousin better than anyone, he's mad, bad and dangerous to know… that's boys for you, I guess."

"What do you mean?" Protests Nico.

Thalia sighs. "Never trust a boy, that's what my mum says," She tells us. "They lie, cheat, break your heart and then disappear and leave you to clean up the mess."

"Percy's not like that!" I say.

"They're _all_ like that," Thalia insists.

"How come your mum thinks boys are such bad news?" Nico wants to know.

Thalia shrugs. "Dad left us when I was a kid," she explains. "We never saw him again. Mum had to do the whole parenthood thing alone."

"I'm not like that." Nico says.

"Well, no, that's for sure," Thalia says. "You're just a weirdo freak who steels biology mice for his sister!"

"You love me really," He grins.

"Maybe, maybe not." Thalia smiles, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

"Anyway, speaking of mice. Did Hazel like the little present you got her?"

"She loves them, she even looks after them herself!" Nico replied.

Thalia glances over at Rachel Dare, lounging against a radiator, checking her sparkly eye shadow-blue today- in a little mirror.

"Rachel's kept quiet about it too," She whispers. "That's a miracle. I was expecting blackmail notes at the very least."

"Rachel's not so bad." Nico says.

"Not so bad?" Thalia snorts. "Have you forgotten what she says about you… and me?"

"Not recently," Nico says.

"Well, no, not in the last few days…"

Rachel has stayed away from Thalia, Nico and me since that wet afternoon at Heaven, and that's a good thing. No more comments about Thalia's ADHD or Nico's family. No more comments about me being Greek. We have become a no-go area for Rachel's acidic tongue, but it's clear she finds the three of us about as interesting as algebra or school.

"Anyway," Nico says. "I've nearly finished the secret mice cage…"

Nico says that his older sister, Bianca, wouldn't be too happy about having mice in the flat so he needs to keep them hidden. With this in mind, he is converting his wardrobe into a gigantic mice cage.

"I just need some chicken wire and it'll be sorted." Nico tells us.

"Nico," Thalia says gently. "What if your sister opens the wardrobe door one day to hang up some clothes or something, and sees the mice? Won't she be a bit… shocked?"

"She won't find him," Nico insists. "I told her I'd be looking after my own clothes from now on. Doing my own washing and ironing and putting away. It's fool proof."

Thalia and I exchange looks, the dissolve into giggles.  
"I hope so," I say. "Mice in the wardrobe… this is not good!"

A week ago, I was pinning for Athens. I'd given up on Leeds, but maybe I was wrong? After all, back then I'd never hidden a rat in my bag or had an after-school detention or eaten cake with blue sugar frosting. A week ago, I didn't dare to hope I might be chatting and giggling with my friends, even if they are kind of geeky and odd, the kind of kids I'd never have given a second glance to back home.

Well, things move on- Arianna's letter showed me that much. It's good to laugh, and it's good to have friends.

It's a start, anyhow.

**Hey guys, so sorry from not updating yesterday but my Wi-Fi was down, but I'm back so yay! On Thursday I'm actually going to Leeds for half term so I should have a long chapter for you all but it might not be up on Sunday because my nan's house doesn't have Wi-Fi and I don't know if I'll be going to my Aunts house that does have Wi-Fi. I watched the LEGO movie yesterday and it was so good, even though it's for young kids! My English teacher was sitting in front of me! Please review and I'll see you next time! **

**Goddess Of Idiots. ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**All rights and characters go to Rick Riordan. I also don't own 'Angel Cake' by Cathy Cassidy.**

**Annabeth's POV**

Percy Jackson is back. It's Monday morning and he's swaggering down the school corridor, surrounded by laughing boys. They punch Percy lightly, ruffle his black hair, and tell him he's the coolest. Nobody, they remind him, ever tried to burn down the school before. Percy just laughs.

And right in the middle of the bad-boy gang, her arm linked through Percy's, is Rachel Dare. She is wearing skyscraper heels and a skirt that's more of a belt. Her lashes are so thick with mascara it looks like she has a whole family of tarantulas stuck to her eyelids.

My heart thumps and my cheeks glow pink, I have waited almost a week to see Percy again, and now he's back, arm in arm with the meanest girl in year 8, and I haven't a clue what to say.

"Hello." Doesn't really cover it!

I just stand still, hugging my bag, as the bad-boy gang sweeps past. Right at the last moment Percy catches my eye and my heart leaps, but his green eyes look right though me as if I don't exist. I wasn't sure what Thalia meant when she told me Percy was bad new, but I know now, and it hurts more than ever. It hurts so much that my eyes blur with tears, and I almost miss the smug grin Rachel throws over her shoulder as the whole bunch of them turn the corner and disappear.

Thalia takes my elbow. "Hey, hey," she says softly. "What did I tell you? Never trust a boy,"

She hands me a tissue and I wipe my eyes and dredge up a smile.  
"Better?" she checks. "Don't take it personally, Annabeth. Kids like Percy and Rachel don't bother with the likes of us, not usually. Maybe outside of school they'll be okay, once in a while, but inside these walls they have an image to keep up. You'll never see Rachel Dare being nice to the likes of you and me, or Percy Jackson bothering to notice we're alive. It's just the way things are." Thalia said bitterly.

Thalia may love Percy, her cousin, but she must find it so upsetting when he just pretends she doesn't exist at school.

"But… why?" I ask.

Thalia rolls her eyes. "There's this whole king-of-the-jungle thing going on at school," She explains. "At this school anyway. The lions are in charge- they're at the top of the heap. They just have to roar and everyone jumps to attention. That's what Rachel and Percy are, see? Then you get elephants and antelope and herds of wild beasts and stuff, who are a bit scared of the lions…"

Jungle zoo… I was rights about the wild animals bit, anyhow.

"What are we?" I ask, my voice still slightly. "What are you, me and Nico, in this jungle?"

"We're zebra and lemurs and parrots," Thalia says. "The cool interesting ones."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but Rachel and Percy don't realize that," she frowns. "To them, we're right at the bottom of the pile. Ants and frogs and minnows. And we don't mix. Mess with the lions and they'll eat you up!"

"I know Rachel does not like me," I say. "But I thought Percy was different!"

"Yeah," Thalia says. "So did I. But he's not. Don't kid yourself."

I guess that's exactly what I've been doing. I let myself believe in miracles, even though I know they don't exist. What was I to Percy? A girl who didn't understand the language, the rules, the laws of the jungle. A girl who didn't matter, invisible, forgettable.

"What shall I do, Thalia?" I ask.

Thalia sighs. "Blank him," she says. "Ignore him. OK?"

All through maths and French, I doodle in the margins of my exercise books, torturing myself with questions. I've heard of girls being dumped after just one date, but just one kiss? It may be a new world record. What was so awful about me anyway? Was I too sad, too silent, too serious for a boy like Percy? At least Percy isn't in maths or French to witness my gloom. PSE is a different story.

"Ignore him," Thalia tells me as we file into class. "He's not worth it."

"Not worth what?" Nico pipes up, but Thalia tells him he wouldn't understand.

We sit down near the front, and Percy, Rachel and a few of the scally-boy crew mooch in late. Percy's eyes catch mine and I could swear they flicker with something dark, unspoken, before sliding away.

Percy and his friends slouch into seats at the back of the classroom while Miss Regan clears her throat and tries not to look anxious. The whole lesson is one big joke to the bad-boy gang.

"Hey Percy," one of them smirks. "You're all _fired up_ today, aren't you?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Percy grins. "That's the _burning question_!"

There's the sound of tearing paper from the back row, and Rachel sniggers and asks if anyone has a lighter. Miss Regan doesn't relax until the bell goes to signal the end of the lesson- well, maybe she's just relived it's not the fire alarm. At least nothing has been burned, charred, torched or fried- except perhaps her nerves.

Percy slouches up to the desk and drops a crumpled paper on to it. "I'm on report, Miss," he says. "You have to sign to say I behaved in class."

Miss Regan sighs. "And did you behave?" she asks.

"Erm…"

"Let's just say you were no angel," Thalia mutters, packing her bag. "Better hang up you wings, angel boy."

Percy dredges up what might be a guilty look.

"I'll try harder next time," he tells the teacher. "Can you sign it? Please?"

Miss Regan signs the sheet, and Percy slopes off. Thalia, Nico and I head for the door, but Miss Regan calls me back.

"Annabeth?" she says. "Can I have a word?"

I pause by her desk. Miss Regan takes my exercise book from the pile and opens it. Suddenly I remember writing about my first day here, about kids like wild animals who yell and roar and stampede through the corridors, ranting frantic teachers, lessons that made no sense at all. Oops.

"I am in trouble?" I ask.

"Trouble?" she repeats. "No, no, of course not!"

"My English is not good," I whisper. "I get things wrong…"

"Annabeth, this is a wonderful piece of writing. The spelling and grammar aren't perfect, but your feelings jump off the page. It shows a far greater grasp of English than I expected. You have a talent!"

I blink. "I do?"

"You do. And now that we know what you can do, perhaps you will try to take part a little more in other classes? Show all your teachers what you can do?"

"I will try…"

"I can see now how hard these past few weeks have been for you," Miss Regan says. "I didn't quite, realize- I don't think anybody did. But you will settle, Annabeth. And I'm here for you, if you need to talk, if you ever have any problems. Do you understand?"

I nod, blinking back my shock as I pick up my bag. "Thank you, Miss Regan," I say. "Thank you!"

I walk out into the corridor, my head high, my heart a little lighter than before. Percy Jackson is lurking just outside the classroom, minus his friends. He rakes a hand through unruly black hair, takes a step towards me, but it's my turn now to look right through him, just like Thalia said.

I walk on down the corridor, to where Thalia and Nico are waiting.

**Hey, I'm back! I'm so sorry for not updating last week but in the end I wasn't even allowed to bring my laptop to Leeds. Anyway thanks for all the reviews and to RavenTempestShadowhunter, half term is like a one week break between terms, like you have on at the end of October so that Halloween isn't when we are at school, then it's the Christmas Holidays which are two weeks long and then you start school again in January. You then have another half term in the middle of February. And then some more until you break up for the Summer Holidays. And don't you worry, Thalico will be a part of this story! Please review and I'll see you next week! **

**Goddess Of Idiots. ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**All rights and characters go to Rick Riordan. I also don't own 'Angel Cake' by Cathy Cassidy.**

**Annabeth's POV**

When I get home from school, Percy Jackson is leaning against the lamp post across from the flat.

"Hey Annabeth," He grins.

I remember this morning, the way Percy's laughing eyes looked straight through me and turned my heart to ice, and I walk past him as if I didn't hear. With shaking fingers, I fit my key into the lock and step inside. I run up the stairs, creep into my bedroom and peer out from behind the threadbare curtains.

He's still there.

I let the curtain drop. Today Percy Jackson ignored me at school, but now he's eating chips just across the road from where I live, grinning.

There are some things I just don't understand about England, and the weirdo language is only one of them. Words, they're not so complicated… but there's a whole raft of other stuff going on that is a mystery to me.

Like how come Nico is so smart and funny, yet people treat him like he's yesterday's trash. How come Thalia is Percy's cousin yet she gets no attention at school. And how come Percy Jackson kissed me in the rain, as if he really meant it, then changed his mind and cut me dead at school today, left me stranded in the corridor with and ache where my heart should be.

Maybe I'm trying so hard to work out what people are saying that I am missing the little things, the clues other people pick up on to read between the lines? I met a boy in angel wings and forgot that he was the kind of boy who tears up school books and sets things on fire, the kind of boy you don't mess with unless you want to get your fingers burnt. And now he's turned into a stalker too.

Mum, Bobby and Matthew come in.

"There's a boy sitting on the steps," Bobby tells me. "He says he's a friend of yours."

"He isn't." I say.

Mum raises an eyebrow. She looks tired, cleaning hotel rooms is not the nicest way to make money, but she never complains. She makes soup for dinner, mixes up some sourdough to make rye bread that will be fresh and warm when Dad gets home. By the time he arrives, the bread is cooling on the rack, and it's been dark for an hour.

"Annabeth," he says. "There's a boy outside who says he's waiting for you. What's going on?"

"He's just a boy from school," I say. "Nobody."

We eat bowls of rich beetroot soup and hunks of warm, tangy bread that tastes like home, and Matthew peers out of the window again.

"He's still there," he reports. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"No, he is not! I wish he'd go away!" I snap.

"Do you want me to go out and tell him?" Dad asks.

I shake my head, defeated. "I'll do it."

I drag a comb through my hair, pull on some boots and a thick jumper. I run downstairs and open the door. Percy Jackson is sitting on the step.

"Finally," he says, getting to his feet. "I thought you'd never come down. I've eaten to bags of chips, a portion of curry sauce and four onion rings, but it's freezing cold and I'm down to my last pennies."

Those soft green eyes could melt an iceberg.

"Why are you here?" I ask.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Percy says brightly. "And you're new to Leeds… I thought I might give you a guided tour."

"No thank you." I say.

Percy looks hurt. "Why not?" he asks.

"I cannot trust you," I tell him. "One minute, you try to burn up the school. Then angel wings and cake. Then… nothing!"  
"I'm complicated," Percy says. "Is that a problem?"

Well, just a bit. I turn to go back inside, but Percy catches my arm.

"Don't go," he says. "Look, I'm sorry, OK? Sorry I haven't been in touch. Sorry about today. Don't be mad at me!"

I look up into his sea green eyes, and somehow I forget to be angry.

"Can we talk? Pease, Annabeth?" he says.

The two of us sit on the doorstep. Little kids are riding their bikes up and down the street, steering with one hand or no hands at all, swooping out into the lamplight, then skidding back into the darkness.

"I'm all the things you said," Percy admits. "I just- well, I don't much like school. And I get angry, sometimes."

"Why?" I ask.

Percy shrugs. "Just… stuff. I'll tell you, some day. I'm not all bad, honest."

"I know that." I tell him.

"You can trust me," he says.

"Maybe."

"So, am I forgiven?" Percy smiles, and every last bit of resistance melts away. I grin at him.

"C'mon," he says, dragging me to my feet. A curtain twitches in my bedroom, and I catch a glimpse of Bobby and Matthew, peeking out.

"A guided tour of Leeds," Percy is saying. "Let's go!"

"No Percy," I laugh. "Not tonight. It is late, and dark. I have homework-"

"Homework?" Percy frowns, as if he's never heard of such a thing.

"I have lots of work to do," I tell him. "I must practise my English, catch up with lessons…"

"Seriously?" Percy asks. "You're not coming out?"

I shake my head.

"Tomorrow then?" he tries instead. "We'll start tomorrow! I want to show you that Leeds can be fun!"

"Percy, I…"

I want to tell him that this is a bad idea. We are too different to be friends, the bad boy and the quiet girl who can't even string a few sentences together. And I don't want to risk being hurt again, which means that going anywhere with Percy Jackson would be a bad, bad idea. My head aches, trying to put together the verbs and adjectives, and when my mouth opens, everything goes wrong.

"OK," I tell him. "This sounds… good!"

"Cool!" His soft green eyes twinkle. "See you then," he says.

Never trust a boy, isn't that what Thalia said? I guess I should have listened.

Percy Jackson is not in school the next day, and although I'm half expecting to find him camped out on my doorstep after 3:30, there's no sign of him.

I start some maths homework, then some art. Still no Percy.

"Why do you keep looking out of the window?" Matthew wants to know.

"Are you looking for that weird boy?" Bobby asks.

"No," I snap. "I'm not looking for anyone!"

I don't have any more homework, but I remember Miss Regan's advice. I open my exercise book and write a couple of pages about Athens and Greece. Still no Percy.

Dad is even later home tonight, so we don't eat dinner till eight. Mum and I wash up, then I iron some clothes for school and go to bed, wishing I had never heard of Percy Jackson.

**Sorry for the short chapter guys but the story is just starting to build up. So, this week has been busy. Monday was arguing with this boy who's like my annoying twin because we have the same birthday. Tuesday was Hockey. Wednesday, I learnt my friend got a concussion on the bus. I also chased my friend Santi down the road because he was annoying me, it was pretty embarrassing because loads of people were looking at us. Thursday we drew pies in form, seriously how old do they think we are? Friday was stupid Star Skills where I made a fish out of paper mache when some of my friends got taken sailing and canoeing! Also me and my brother discussed demigods, like we said if Jesus was the son of God wouldn't that make him a demigod and my brothers brilliant logic of "Moses parted the sea so he must be related to Percy!" Anyway, thank you for all the reviews. Please review, see you soon.**

**Goddess Of Idiots. ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**All rights and characters go to Rick Riordan. I also don't own 'Angel Cake' by Cathy Cassidy.**

**Annabeth's POV**

There's a faint ringing noise, like the sound of a demented mobile, tugging me from sleep. Then silence. I sigh and stretch and drag the blankets over my head, and then it's back, a shrill, chirpy sound, nagging, persistent.

I sit up. The room is still, except for Bobby and Matthew's muffled breathing in the beds across from me. The noise must be coming from outside. It's too thin and reedy to be a car alarm. It sounds like… a bicycle bell.

I slide out of bed and run over to the window, lifting up the corner of the threadbare curtain. There on the pavement, in a pool of yellow light from the street lamp, is Percy Jackson, wearing angel wings, astride a big old-fashioned bike with a basket fixed to the front of it. He rings the bell again, grinning up at me.

I pull on my grey fluffy slippers and grab a coat, creep past Mum and Dad's bedroom and down the creaky stairs. I open the door and slip outside, shivering in the cold night air.

"What are you doing?" I whisper. "It's the middle of the night!"

"You said you liked the angel wings," Percy shrugs. "So here I am. Just didn't want people to think I make a habit of all this feathery stuff, OK? I have a reputation to keep up. So… well, I figured there wouldn't be many people around to see me at this time of night."

He notices my fluffy slippers and spotty pyjamas, frowning.

"Um… are you ready?"

"Ready?" I echo.

Percy looks confused. "The guided tour," he says. "It was all arranged. You agreed!"

"But it is so late!" I protest. "Everyone is asleep!"

Percy laughs. "Exactly," he tells me. "We have the whole city to ourselves, practically. C'mon!"

"I cannot!" I argue. "My family!"

"They're asleep, you said so yourself," Percy says. "Besides, you promised. And I borrowed the bike specially. C'mon!"

Before I know what's happening, Percy slides his arms around me and hauls me up on to the crossbar of the bike.

"No!" I yelp. "Percy! I cannot!"

But Percy isn't listening. He launches the bike off the pavement and out along the road, wobbling slightly. I shift position, grab on to the handlebars with one hand and Percy with the other. I have never ridden on the crossbar of a rickety old bike before, I guess there is a first time for everything. I'm surprised to find I'm smiling.

"So," Percy says, steering the bike round on to the wide, tree-lined avenue that leads into town, pedalling faster. "This is Homesdale Avenue. It's where all the rich people used to live, like a hundred years ago. Mostly flats now, though. Can you imagine it with horses and carriages and crinoline dresses? Leeds was dead posh, once."

The breeze ruffles my hair and lifts it out behind me. I gaze up at the crumbling terrace houses with their bay windows and litter-strewn gardens and try to imagine them a hundred years ago. What would those long-gone people make of us, a boy in angel wings and a girl in pyjamas, riding through the night on an antique bicycle? We pedal on.

"Hang on," Percy says. "We're turning…"

The bike wobbles slightly as we take the corner, and I fall back against Percy before getting my balance again. A huge, dark building towers over us suddenly, vast and terrifying. Spotlights cast an orange glow over its ancient gothic arches and pinnacles.

It's a little like the elegant, ancient churches we have back in Athens, but squarer, more solid, somehow.

"This is the Anglican cathedral," Percy says. "Spooky, huh? They do good tea and scones in the café… not at night, obviously. And not as good as the ones Mum makes!"

We ride on through the dark, deserted streets. Percy points out the Greek Orthodox Church, which I already know from Sunday service, the university, Art College even the Jewish synagogue. Then we cycle back along Homesdale Avenue and swoop down into the park. Percy takes a blanket from the bike basket, spreading it out over the dew-wet grass beside the boating lake, and unfolds a parcel of iced cakes wrapped in a red-checked tea towel.

"Breakfast," he tells me. "Like it?"

"It's perfect, Percy. Thank you!"

"This is just the start… a taster, if you like," Percy says.

He picks up one of the little cupcakes and bites into it, grinning.

"There's loads more I can show you. Leeds is cool. Seriously!"

As I bite into the golden sponge cake and the sweet, melting frosting, I can almost believe him. The sky above us pales, and watercolour washes of pink and gold and orange seep over the horizon. Trees that looked skinny and stunted in daylight seem tall and elegant now, their branches silhouetted against the dawn.

I guess even the most unlikely places can feel special, if you're with the right person- or if you know how to look. Right now, though, I'm tired… and worried too. If Mum and Dad discover I'm missing, they'll go crazy.

"I must go," I whisper, and Percy just smiles and gets to his feet, shaking out the blanket, lifting the bike upright again.

As we ride out through the park gates, a little milk float is buzzing its way along the street. Cartons of milk have already been left out on the step by the door of the flat.

"Hang on to me really tight," Percy says, and I lean into him, waiting for a jolt or a wobble or a swerve. It doesn't happen. The bike comes to slow, smooth halt outside the flat.

"Why must I hold tight?" I ask, and Percy just laughs.

"Because I like it when you do," he says. "I guess you can let go now, Annabeth. If you really want to…"

"Percy!" I protest. I slide to the pavement, and he adjusts the white-featured wings and rides away, grinning. I bend and pick up the milk. The door to the flat swings open and Dad appears, dressed for work.

"Annabeth," he says surprised. "You're up early… I didn't hear you moving about. Were you collecting the milk?"

"Mmm," I say, hiding the lie with a yawn.

"Good girl. I thought I'd get an early start today. There are a few things I need to sort out. I'll try not to be so late back tonight."

Dad kisses the top of my head and walks away, and I slip into the flat just as the clock turns seven.

There is just one problem with going out to watch the dawn… it kind of wrecks you for school the next day.

I yawn all the way through French and maths and finally fall asleep in history. Thalia jabs me in the ribs just as I am dreaming of picnics in the park in my pyjamas with a boy who may or may not be an angel.

"Wake up," She hisses. "At least pretend to listen. What's up with you?"

"Sorry," I whisper. "I had a late night. Percy came over…"

Thalia's eyes are wide with the mention of her cousin. "Whoa… careful, Annabeth. I've told you before… that boy is bad news."

"Thalia Grace!" Mr Shuttle yells, and she snaps to attention, blinking.

"I'm sure you've been listening carefully. Perhaps you'd like to tell the class the causes of the Great Fire of London?"

Thalia doesn't miss a beat. "Wasn't that Percy Jackson, Sir?"

The class dissolves into giggles. "Most amusing," Mr Shuttle huffs. "Where is Percy today, anyway? Our little arsonist not here today?"

A few of the bad-boy crew at the back of the class offer random excuses for Percy. He's broken his leg, he's at the dentist, he's been expelled forever for setting fire to Mr Murphy's Burberry raincoat. Mr Shuttle rolls his eyes. I have a strong feeling Percy is still curled up in bed, his wings hanging from the coat stand.

"Watch out, Annabeth," Thalia says later in the school canteen, flicking through a music magazine, one where all the bands seem to be young and skinny and dressed in black. "I like my cousin and all, but he should have a government health warning stamped all over him. Don't get involved."

"Involved in what?" Nico wants to know.

"Girl stuff," Thalia scoffs. "Crushes, kisses… true love. You wouldn't understand."

"How do you know?" Nico protests.

"I just do," Thalia says. "Seriously, Annabeth, Percy's no angel."

But he's the only good thing in my life right now, the only thing that makes this place bearable. And sometimes, I see a sweet, sad, gentle side to Percy, a side I know most people have never seen. Sometimes he makes me miserable, sometimes he makes me mad, but he can make my heart flip over with just one look. And last night was special… so special.

"You're not even listening, are you?" Thalia sighs.

"It's OK, Annabeth. Love is deaf, as well as blind," Nico says wisely.

"Whatever." Thalia says, picking up her lemonade to drink, but not before looking to see how much sugar is in it.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Nico demands.

"Doing what?" Thalia asks, her eyes fixed on the ingredients.

"Ever since Rachel said that thing about sugar and ADHD, you always check how much sugar is in something before you have it, it's stupid." Nico tells her.

"I'm being cautious. If having lots of sugar makes me weirder than I already am, than I don't want to have lots of it!" She tells him.

"You're not weird!" Nico says. "You're just different, in a nice way."

"Get a grip," She snaps. "I am not different, I'm a weirdo freak, now will you just leave it!"

She gets up and heads off to the toilets, leaving Nico to stare after her and me sitting there awkwardly.

"Does Thalia _really_ think about herself like that?" Nico asked me.

I nod and he sighs.

"She'll never like me." He sighs before realizing he said it out loud.

His usual pale face goes red with embarrassment.

"F-forget what I just said!" He stuttered.

"Thalia is strange," I shrug. "But she does like you, Nico."

"I don't know about that," Nico says gloomily. "She never even noticed I was alive until recently."

I've been invisible myself, and silent too, so I know how Nico is feeling.

"We don't have anything in common," Nico sighs. "We're too different."

"Different is good," I say, thinking of me and Percy.

"I'm not just different, I'm dull." Nico says. "That's what Thalia thinks."

"Not dull," I tell him. "But if Thalia thinks so, then why not surprise her? You are a smart boy. Think about it. What does Thalia like?"

Thalia is coming back to the table so Nico grins at her.

"Hey, Thalia," He says. "I was just saying to Annabeth, I wonder how that crazy café is getting on. Do you fancy going along after school, to check it out. I'll buy you both a cake!"

Thalia raises an eyebrow. "You mean my cousins crazy café?" She asks.

"Yeah." Nico replied. "Wait, its Percy's café?"

"Well, his Mum's café, but same thing," Thalia said. "Anyway, go on then. We'll come, right Annabeth?"

I smile, but my heart starts up a drumbeat that has nothing to do with Thalia or Nico. Maybe Percy will be there… and maybe, after last night, even Thalia will see that he's the boy for me.

Maybe.

**Bonjour! I'm back with a slightly better and longer chapter! It was so funny today, I went shopping with my mum and brother and we were in this book store and my brother picked up Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief. He showed it to me and said "Look, its Harry Potter and The Lightning Thief!" and then he realized what he said and started laughing so hard he fell on the floor in the middle of the store! Anyway today I'm going to share 5 facts about me.**

**1. I LOVE playing Hockey. (For you Americans, that's field Hockey, you know on an Astro Turf not Ice Hockey.)**

**2. I share my awesome birthday of November 28****th**** with a boy in my set. It's so annoying, it's like having an annoying, singing twin!**

**3. I live in England where the weather is never right.**

**4. I'm actually terrible at spellings.**

**5. My favourite TV show is Futurama.**

**And there we are! Please review and whatever else and I'll see you next week. **

**Goddess Of Idiots. ;)**


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